Tottenham 2 Aston Villa 0:A double from Emmanuel Adebayor ensured Harry Redknapp had a gentle return to the bench at White Hart Lane after undergoing a recent heart operation as Spurs jumped up to third in the Premier League table.
The Togo striker made the most of some poor defending to grab his first goals for the club in two months. Left unmarked in the 14th minute, he acrobatically fired home from close range before a mix-up between defender James Collins and goalkeeper Shay Given handed him a second on a plate five minutes before the break.
He has chances to complete his hat-trick in the second half as Spurs continued their dominance and they now go third above Newcastle on goal difference and trail Manchester United by four points, with a game in hand.
Emile Heskey could have nodded Villa into an early lead after meeting Stiliyan Petrov’s cross, but he directed his effort straight at Brad Friedel.
Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon provided speed on the flanks as Tottenham looked to make their presence felt and they should have crept ahead in the 11th minute.
An inch-perfect cross was supplied by Lennon, but Adebayor could only head a glorious chance wide of the left post.
The on-loan striker made amends in the 14th minute, however, when he met Bale’s dipping shot with an overhead kick that sent the ball past Given for his fourth goal of the season.
Spurs poured forward in search of a second as they continued to dominate the match.
On the rare occasions Villa did muster an attack they were swiftly stopped in their tracks with Scott Parker proving influential and Younes Kaboul dispossessing Gabriel Agbonlahor with a wonderfully-timed tackle.
Bale should have done more with a one-on-one with Given after being played through by Luka Modric.
Spurs did not have to wait much longer for their second, however, with Villa’s defence falling apart once more.
Bale whipped in a cross that should have been cleared by Collins only for the centre back to misjudge the flight of the ball, enabling Adebayor to tap home from two yards out after Given failed to gather.
Adebayor should have completed his hat-trick six minutes into the second half after the vision of Modric sent him bursting past the last defender. But the 27-year-old’s run was clumsy and he lacked conviction as he sent his shot past the right post with only Given to beat.
Kyle Walker blasted narrowly wide as Villa continued to come under relentless pressure and then it was Adebayor’s turn to hit the advertising boards.
Bale forced a smart save from Given before delivering a magnificent cross from an impossible angle, though no Spurs players were on hand to meet the ball.
